Exam Preparation Advise

Public exams are just around the corner. For most of our Y13 students, it will be their first experience of public exams as their GCSEs in 2021 were cancelled due to Covid and the disruption. This will naturally add pressure for some students, but it is important to remember that everyone is in the same boat.
They, along with our Y11 students, have been busy preparing, practising and finishing their courses. They have had mock exams as close to the real thing as we can actually make it, designed to help them cope on the day with the prior knowledge of exactly how things run.
We like to talk to our students about the 5Ps for exams and they are:

• Plan
• Prepare
• Process
• Practise
• Persevere

It is important to remember, when preparing for the forthcoming period, that it is quality of work, rather than quantity of work, that ultimately will have the biggest impact:

• Plan: for intensive revision periods, with active note taking, self-testing, recall, analytical, discursive writing and also plan in breaks. You need time to reflect rest and relax. Go out for a walk, a run, a cycle ride…Plan in sleep, food and social time too
• Prepare: your work space and routine. Silence works best for revision despite what you may think. Are you an early-bird or a night owl? Do not work at 6am if you know you work best in the evenings but don’t work late if you are going to be up at 6am. Do what works best for you
• Process: your revision. Do not just sit and read your book or your notes. Make notes, draw diagrams, mind maps, flashcards; be active.
• Practise: exam questions. No point learning lots if you do not know how to answer that 20 mark question at the end of the paper.
• Persevere: don’t give up. It is hard. It is meant to be hard. You will be fine. Don’t give up

Chris Randell, Principal